Budget Beauty: The top five best-sellers from BYS for P700 and less

I’ve long been intrigued by BYS Cosmetics. I see them in the beauty section all the time but the sleek black packaging has always made me think that their products are more for professional makeup artists! In a way, I wasn’t entirely wrong - the Australian drugstore brand promises exceptional quality and value for money, and in terms of professional usage, they’ve actually partnered up with the Center for Aesthetic Studies, a respected makeup school in Manila. The brand does not test on animals and when I finally looked it up, I was surprised to see that their prices are actually reasonable even for my student budget.

Here's a roundup of their top five best-sellers, and what they look like on my morena skin + dark hair!

The BYS Crème Foundation (P699 for 10 grams) comes in a compact with a mirror and a puff underneath. The formula is creamy and feels just slightly thicker than butter. I first tried applying this with clean fingers, which proved to be difficult because the cream does not have much slip. Using the included puff makes application a lot easier but like any sponge, it does absorb a fair amount of product. Pro tip: wet the sponge to get a smoother finish with less product wastage! You can try applying this with a foundation brush but I still recommend using the puff to blend it all out, as it creates a smooth, natural-looking application.

A single layer of this foundation offers medium coverage, enough to cover my dark spots and hyperpigmentation. The formula is buildable to fuller coverage though if you have more pronounced blemishes. I got the shade Warm Beigewhich turned out to be slightly lighter than my tan skin but I was able to correct the difference with just a bit of setting powder. The foundation has a demi-matte finish which looks natural.

On my combination skin, this lasts about six hours before fading, with minimal retouch. Not bad for a cream base!

After applying foundation, I used the BYS Liquid Concealer in Medium (P199 for 12 ml). It's too sheer to cover up my blemishes but it worked perfectly for brightening up my dark circles. I also used this to cover up redness around my nose! This concealer has a strong fragrance that I personally can do without.

I have to mention that the 12 ml for P199 is a generous amount. Seriously, that's a lot of product!

I used a powder foundation to match the face bases closer to my shade but you can also use a translucent powder to set everything in place. You may be able to go without if you have dry skin but my combination skin causes my T-zone to oil up. With the setting powder, both the foundation and the concealer stayed for the normal length of my day - about six hours, with minimal retouch.

I found a new favorite in the BYS Contour Trio in 02 Sweet (P449 for 8 grams). The palette includes a matte blush, a highlighter, and a contour powder already! I especially love the blush because the warm peachy color flatters my morena skin so well! It’s also quite pigmented so I don’t need to apply a lot. The contour is also really nice as it has just the right amount of warmth, is not too orange, and does not look muddy. It is also buildable, which is easier to use for beginners like me.

The palette contains a matte highlighter which is intended to give a more subtle effect. I used it on my cheekbones, under my eyes (yep, it works!), and on my nose bridge, which gave it a bit of lift without looking too obvious.

All the powders are finely milled and feel smooth on the skin. I would've personally preferred a shimmery highlighter, but I love how this palette looks gorgeous on my skin tone. I would definitely buy it when I run out!

Another favorite is the BYS Brow Gel in 02 Brown (P399 for 2 grams) that I applied to my arches. Two grams may not seem like a lot but you only need a tiny, tiny amount of product to cover both eyebrows. Mine are naturally bushy but the pigmentation of the makes them look lush, full, and well-groomed.

It’s easy to apply using the included brush but if I get too much product on, I just brush out the extra with a spoolie. Brown perfectly matches my dark brown hair even though it's not as stark of a brown. I think the gel can be used on sparse eyebrows as well because the pigmentation is buildable and looks soft even after a couple of layers.

Finally, the BYS Matte Lipstick (3.5g for P299) is actually creamy and moisturizing rather than matte. The shade Salsa is a beautiful berry pink that’s perfect for everyday use, whether in school or at the office. Due to its creaminess though, it does not last as long as I’d like and disappears completely after eating. I simply reapply as needed, and the color doesn’t get patchy even after being layered on.

Take care when capping the lippie because the product can’t be twisted all the way down. A part of the lipstick remains exposed so if you are not careful, you might hit it with the cap. The lipstick is unscented - a plus for me.

Overall, I am pretty happy with my first BYS experience! I can’t wait to try out their other products, especially the eyeshadows. If you’re looking to try their stuff, I would definitely recommend the contour palette and the eyebrow gel!

Have you tried BYS Cosmetics before? What are your faves from the brand?